1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front-cover assembly for an information apparatus and an information apparatus having the same.
For the information apparatuses of personal computers and the like placed on a table to be used, an easy to use configuration and a pleasant design are required.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show the conventional information apparatus 10. The information apparatus 10 is configured to be easily usable with each type of terminal provided on the front face, and at the same time, is configured to cover the terminals 11 with lid members 12 and 13 when not in use to take the outer appearance into account. The information apparatus 10 has a housing 15 and a front-cover assembly 16 on the front side, is set on a pedestal 17, and placed height-wise on the table to be used. The front-cover assembly 16 has a front-cover 18, and the lid members 12 and 13 attached on left and right sides, respectively, of the front-cover 18 so as to be opened and closed. The front-cover 18 and the lid members 12 and 13 are molded components of synthetic resin.
When the information apparatus 10 is not in use, the lid members 12 and 13 are closed and the terminals 11 are hidden, as shown in FIG. 1A. When the information apparatus 10 is in use, the lid members 12 and 13 are turned and opened and the terminals 11 are exposed, as shown in FIG. 1B. The task of connecting the plugs to the terminals 11 is carried out from a front side of the information apparatus 10, and the information apparatus is easy to use. In addition, an operation of opening the lid members 12 and 13 is carried out by a user hooking and pulling the lid members 12 and 13 with fingertips of the user.
The lid member 12 has, as shown in FIG. 2, a lid body 12a, arm parts 12b and 12c projecting from a vicinity of opposite ends of the lid body 12a, and an engaging convex part 12d. The arm parts 12b and 12c have C-shaped bearing parts 12b1 and 12c1 on the leading ends thereof.
In correspondence to an above shape of the lid member 12, the front-cover 18 has, on a front face 18a, an opening 18b through which the arm 12b enters, an opening 18c through which the arm part 12c enters, an opening 18d through which the engaging convex part 12e enters, and also shaft parts 18e and 18f in an inner part of the openings 18b and 18c. On an inner circumference of the opening 18d, a concave part 18d1 is formed.
The lid member 12, as shown in FIG. 1B, is turnably attached with respect to the shaft parts 18e and 18f with the arm parts 12b and 12c in the respective openings 18b and 18c, and the C-shaped bearing parts 12b1 and 12c2 fitted to the respective shaft parts 18e and 18f. A size of the openings 18b and 18c are a size corresponding to a range of movement of the arm parts 12b and 12c when the lid member 12 is being opened or is being closed. The lid member 12 is, in the opened state, clickly locked with the engaging convex part 12d resiliently fitted to the convex part 18d1.
The shape of the other lid member 13 and a relationship with the front-cover 18 are the same as those for the lid member 12 described above.
No problem arises when the lid members 12 and 13 are in the closed state, as shown in FIG. 1A, but when they are turned and in the opened state, as shown in FIG. 1B, a plurality of openings 18b and 18d for attachment of the lid members 12 are exposed and furthermore, the arm parts 12b and 12c as well as the engaging convex part 12d are exposed, making the design unattractive.
Furthermore, when assembling the front-cover assembly 16 in a factory, an attachment of the lid members 12 and 13 to the front-cover 18 is, as shown in FIG. 3, done by pushing the C-shaped bearing part 12b1 (12c1) hard into the shaft part 18e (18f) as depicted with an arrow A, resiliently widening the C-shaped bearing part 12b1 (12c1) once and then fitting them to the shaft part 18e (18f). In order for the attached lid members 12 and 13 to not easily detach, the C-shaped bearing parts 12b1 and 12c1 are made thick and strong, making the task of attaching the lid members 12 and 13 to the front-cover 18 in the factory difficult. Since the task of pushing and fitting the bearing part 12b1 (12c1) to the shaft part 18e (18f) is carried out by holding the lid body 12a in hand, force is applied to a root of the arm parts 12b and 12c with respect to the lid body 12a and there is a risk of the arm parts 12b and 12c breaking.
Furthermore, the engaging convex part 12e is provided in a middle of the lid body 12a in a longitudinal direction, and when the lid body 12a is deflected, a position of the engaging convex part 12d is influenced by a deflection of the lid body 12a and is displaced. Therefore, a turning position of the lid member 12 when the lid member 12 is clickly locked readily varies.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved front-cover assembly that overcomes the conventional problems mentioned above and to provide an information apparatus having the same.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a front-cover assembly in which, even if the front-cover is formed so as to have corner parts angularly projecting in the left and the right sides between the front face and the side face, the turning lid member can move without touching the corner part.
In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention has a lid member attached to the front-cover of the information apparatus so as to be opened and closed, so that the orientation with respect to the flange of the lid body is defined by having the distance between the turning center and the leading head in the turning direction when closing be different from the distance between the turning center to the leading head in the turning direction when opening.
By defining the orientation with respect to the flange of the lid body to an angle shifted in the direction of the tangent line when closing the lid member, the portion of the lid body on the side of the leading head along the turning direction moves away from the turning center and moves outside of the corner part having an angular shape.
A more specific object of the present inventin is to provide a front-cover assembly in which the lid member is click locked accurately in the closed position and the opened position.
In order to achieve this object, the present invention forms the raised part for click lock of the lid member on the periphery portion of the flange of the lid member attached to the front-cover of the information apparatus so as to be opened and closed, and engages the raised part to the concave part of the front-cover.
With such configuration, the position of the raised part is not shifted even if the lid body is deflected, and the raised part is not influenced by the deflection of the lid body. Thus, the click lock is carried out accurately when the lid member is in the closed position and the opened position.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a front-cover assembly capable of having a more sophisticated design when the lid member is in the opened state and the closed state.
In order to achieve this object, the present invention configures the shape of the flange of the lid member attached to the front-cover of the information apparatus so as to be opened and closed to correspond to the shape of the front-cover.
When the lid member is in the opened state, the flange blocks the gap between the front-cover and the cap making the above gap unnoticeable, and thus the design seen from the front face of the front-cover assembly is more sophisticated. Similarly, when the lid member is in the closed state, the flange blocks the gap between the front-cover and the cap making the above gap unnoticeable and thus the design seen from the side of the front-cover assembly is more sophisticated.